NIGERIA: Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are seeking President Bola Tinubu’s approval for a campaign strategy that would significantly limit his appearances at rallies ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with governors and other party leaders expected to take the lead in nationwide mobilisation.
The proposed arrangement, according to Daily Sun, would see the governors spearhead rallies, grassroots mobilisation and other public-facing campaign activities, while Tinubu makes selective appearances at events considered politically strategic.
The governors are expected to meet with the President this week to present the proposed framework and secure his endorsement.
The move is reportedly driven by concerns over Tinubu’s political standing in parts of the North, South-South and South-East, as well as apprehensions that frequent appearances before large crowds could expose the President and the ruling party to avoidable political controversies.
Under the proposed arrangement, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, is expected to coordinate the governors’ mobilisation efforts across the country.
The plan represents a departure from an earlier campaign arrangement under which Tinubu was expected to appear at least once in each of the six geopolitical zones.
However, Saturday’s North-Central campaign gathering in Nasarawa State proceeded without the President, an development that party insiders reportedly view as an indication of the direction the proposed strategy could take.
Sources within the APC told Daily Sun that the governors intend to formally present the new campaign template to Tinubu, proposing that he be largely insulated from the day-to-day demands of nationwide rallies.
The proposal does not, however, envisage the President withdrawing completely from the campaign.
A high-profile source familiar with the discussions said Tinubu could still attend selected events when his presence is considered necessary, with the grand finale expected to be one of the major occasions at which he would address party supporters and make a direct appeal for re-election.
The source said the principal expectation was for the President to remain largely removed from routine campaign activities, while retaining a prominent role at strategically important events.
According to the report, concerns over Tinubu’s political standing in some parts of the country have strengthened support among some governors for the proposed arrangement.
The governors are said to believe that the President retains a comparatively stronger political base in the South-West, while facing greater challenges in sections of the North, South-South and South-East.
They are also reportedly concerned that controversies arising from public appearances, including verbal slips and other incidents that attracted attention during the 2023 presidential campaign, could provide opposition parties with material for attacks during the 2027 electioneering period.
Consequently, the governors are pushing for what a source described as a “controlled deployment” of the President, allowing governors, ministers, party leaders and campaign officials to shoulder much of the responsibility for rallies and grassroots mobilisation.
The strategy is expected to enable the governors to deploy their local political structures and networks to strengthen the APC’s electoral prospects in their respective states and geopolitical zones.
The President’s existing campaign organisational structure would remain operational alongside the APC National Working Committee, with the proposed arrangement focusing primarily on the division of responsibilities and the management of Tinubu’s public appearances.
The governors reportedly believe that reducing the President’s participation in routine campaign activities would not undermine his authority over the campaign or alter the structures he has already approved.
Rather, they consider the strategy a form of political risk management that would reduce the physical demands of travelling across the country for rallies while allowing the party to concentrate on mobilisation, logistics and campaign messaging.
Saturday’s gathering in Nasarawa State is being viewed in party circles as a possible indication of how the arrangement could operate, with governors and other senior party figures taking responsibility for public mobilisation in the President’s absence.
The planned meeting with Tinubu is expected to determine whether the President will approve the proposal and the extent to which his participation in the 2027 campaign will be restricted.
If adopted, the arrangement would place APC governors at the forefront of nationwide mobilisation, while Tinubu would be reserved largely for events where party leaders believe his presence could deliver the greatest political benefit.
